Slade Being Eyed For DAREDEVIL Reboot

March 16, 2011

20th Century Fox is looking for ’30 Days of Night’ director, David Slade, to direct the reboot of Marvel’s ‘Daredevil.’

Early last night, Variety reported that 20th Century Fox had tapped David Slade for the reboot of the ‘Daredevil’ franchise, now ComingSoon.net has confirmed that, while no deal is in place, Slade is very likely the man for the job.

A reboot of the franchise was inevitable, as 20th Century Fox needs to have a ‘Daredevil’ movie in production or the rights would revert back to Marvel Studios and its owner, Walt Disney Pictures. Same goes for “Fantastic Four,” for which Fox is eyeing new installments.

Sources close to the ‘Daredevil’ movie, say it’s not a reboot per se — more a continuation of the ‘Daredevil’ saga, “the untitled film will be a continuation of the superhero pic, and will not contain material from the Ben Affleck-toplined version.”

Daredevil was created by Stan Lee and artist Bill Everett in 1964. Matt Murdock is a New York City lawyer who, after being blinded by radioactive material, finds his other senses heightened to superhuman levels and becomes Daredevil, the “man without fear.”

Slade made his directorial debut with 2005’s ‘Hard Candy,’ starring Ellen Page and Patrick Wilson but the director is probably best known for 2007’s ’30 Days of Night.’ He most recently directed ‘The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.’

The director still has his hands full with his third vampire-themed flick, ‘The Last Voyage of the Demeter,’ a long-delayed film that follows the ill-fated crew aboard the merchant ship Demeter which carried Dracula’s coffin from Transylvania to England only to arrive at port with no survivors aboard.